Online Collaboration - The Modern Way of Communicating

Modern technology such as the Internet has given us the opportunity and ability to communicate and collaborate with people all over the world and use our different outlooks and lifestyles in order to spark creativity and ingenuity.

Example:

Eric Whitacre’s virtual choir is a great example of how online collaboration can positively influence our society and the lives of thousands of people. Whitacre is a conductor and decided to create a version of his songs, using the voices that people had recorded and sent in of themselves singing his song. He got over 2000 videos from 58 different countries of people performing his song, which were then edited and uploaded onto YouTube, becoming a viral video. This virtual choir shows that people can experience a connection with others that they have never even met, using the Internet. The choir in a sense became a family, where people from different backgrounds and walks of life could come together to create something truly awe inspiring and beautiful, through the use of the internet.

Check out Eric Whitacre's talk about his virtual choir on TED Talks 

Virtual Choir 1: Lux Aurumque

Virtual Choir 2.0: Sleep

Virtual Group Vs. Physical Group: Which is a better way to collaborate?

There are many pros and cons to online collaboration as well as pros and cons to collaborating face to face. Here are some of the main arguments for each side:

Online Collaboration:

• Gives you the opportunity to meet and interact with people all over the world
• Differences are set apart – there is less judgment online
• Shy people can step out of their comfort zones and do things they normally would not (ex. The virtual choir – singers who normally wouldn’t sing in front of millions of people can do so in their bedrooms and still be seen by the world)
•  Working online gives you more time to present the best version of yourself (You can have multiple takes of yourself singing in a video, but you only have one chance in a face to face audition)
• It is easier to manage and organize things online (you can write one email and send it to a large list of people)
• Online collaboration is also cost effective – you can work out of your house instead of having to go to an office or a recording studio for example
•  Less time consuming – you waste less time commuting when working online
• Strength of Weak Ties:

-       When you are talking and collaborating with people all over the world, you are making connections with different people, giving you access to more ideas and inputs

-       Online collaboration gives you the chance to build your community and build relationships with people that you would not normally get the chance to know

Face-to-Face Collaboration:

• It is easier to resolve conflicts in person and ensure a response to your questions or ideas (some people do not respond to emails or messages online as quickly)
• People have an easier time saying rude and hurtful things behind the safety of a keyboard than in person
• It is harder to read body language online – sometimes you cannot tell if a person is being sarcastic or not through messages online, while in person you can tell by their gestures, etc.
• Some people don’t have access to the technologies (people can have limited to no internet connection in some areas, which can be an impediment to participating online or networking in a group)